Upholstery-making machine and method of making continuous cushions



Jam. 6, 1931.

` M. J. STACK UPHOLSTERY MAKING MAQHINE AND METHOD OF MAKING CONTINUOUS CUSHIONS Filed NOV.. 26 1927- 5 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 6, 1931. M. .1. STACK 1,788,128

UPHOLSTERY MAKING MACHINE AND METHOD OF MAKING CONTINUOUS CUSHIONS Filed Nov. 26, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y 1 MMV/ML ATTORNEY mig- Jan. 6, 1931. M, 1, STACK 1,788,128

UPHOLSTERY MAKING MACHINE AND METHOD OF MAKING CONTINUOUS CUSHIONS Filed Nov. 26, 1927 s sheets-sheet s Eignm: mvENToR IT N mundfdcx. El BY @ww 'VU/wf ATTORNEY Patented dan. 6, 1931 Vwing-1.3;) STATES PATENT ori-ICE- I nAUEIcE-J. STacx, or coIIoEs, NEW Yoan, ASSIqNon BY MFSNE lnSsIeNJiIENTS, To

NATIONAL v.AU'J'.OMO'JIVE FIBRES, INC., WARE, A CORPORATION F DELAWARE y UPHOLSTERY-MAKING IIACIIINEAND :METHOD 0E MAKING CONTINUOUS cUSHIoNs Application led November 26, 1927. Serial No. 235,961.

My invention relates to the art of upholstery making and particularly to apparatus for making continuous upholstery cushions from which individual cushions may be cut Machines have been devised in which a cov-V ering and a lining material and a plurality of separate or independent bats (one v for each pleat or pocket) are fed to a sewing mecha-l nism and formed into a continuous cushion, see patent to Brintnall No. 1,498,013 and application for patent filed by `the same Brintnall on July 2, 1927, Serial No. 203,231, but in the use of such machines, inasmuch as the ,bats occupy so much more volume than the thin sheets of covering and lining materials, m`uch dilliculty is experienced infeeding the bats to the pleats, and the eiciency of the machines is greatly lowered vby the fre-v quent stops necessary to replenish the supply of bats being fed, the supply of bats possible to be mounted in association with the machine at any given time being necessarily limited by the great volume ofthe bats.

In the manufacture of bats they are commonly formed in convenient lengths and "either rolled into-'a convenient roll about a central core and inserted into a suitable cartonor lap-laid in such cartons'. To feed machines of the Brintnall character from an 'arra of roll or la -laid cartons assembled at the ceding end o the machine is just about impossible within the bounds of practicability and eliciency.

It is therefore the object of-myb present invention to provide, in combination with a i machine of the character mentioned, means to mount the number of bat rolls necessary to serve the machine on the machine in a convenient and practical mannerwhereby the bats will be fed to the upholstery pleats in the proper manner without interference of one rolll with' the other or with the operation of the machine, and bythe employment of which means it is possible to run the machine continuously without stop to replenish bat stock. v l

The invention further seeks to provide, in bat feeding means of the character stated,

means whereby the bat-feeding devices may be adjusted as to position to accommodate the use o f bats of various sizes.

The invention further comprehends a new method of makingcontinuous cushions embodying bats less continuous in their normal state, than the remaining cushion material.

The invention .still further comprehends the provision of a new bat structure having means at its ends to provide for quick attachment'with an end of an exhausted bat. Other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out hereinafter.A

To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and ends, my invention still further consists in the novel details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, all of which will be first fully described in the following detalled description, then be particularly pointed out in the appended claims reference lbeing had; to the accompanying drawings, in 'which Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a machine embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a cross section of a common form of bat.

Figure 3 is a somewhat diagrammatic side view of a pair of bat ends and illustrates the manner of joining the end of an exhausted bat length with another bat length to form a continuous bat.

Figure 4 is a plan view of a machine emvthe` inve11tion applied to modified forms of bats.

Herein I disclose thei'combination of a machine for continuously sewing covering and lining'material with spaced seams and forming pockets or pleats etween the seams and means for continuously deliverin bats to the pleats oI- pockets as they are ormed. It should be understood thatl in the practicall development of my invention lthe cushion forming and sewing machine structure may be of any approved form but herein, for purposes of illustration, I have disclosed a machine of the type stated such as is disclosed in the application for patent of Brintnall filed July 2, 1927, Serial No. 203,231.

In the drawings 1 designates the frame of the cushion forming and sewing machine, 2 the main covering material roll and 3 the hning materialroll. The guide tray for guiding .the bats into the machine and into the pleats of the cushion is indicated at 4 and the bats are indicated at 5. The covering sheet feeding means is generally vindicated at 6 and the lining sheet feeding means at- 7 while 8 indicates the means for feeding the combined material` i. e. covering material, lining mat-erial and bats, to the sewing mechanisms generally indicated at 9.

As the machine parts in themselves form no part of my present invention, and as the machine disclosed is described in detail in the application referred to, further` detailed description of the same herein is deemed l,unnecessary.

A frame extension 10 is provided which includes a pair ofl opposing vertical arms connected by cross bars 11 which are longitudlnally slotted as at 12 to receive the depending threaded studs 13 of a plurality of mounting standards 14.

Each standard 14 is provided at its'upper end with a head from which a roll carrying spindle 15 projects, see Figure 6.

' 5 of the drawings The standards 14 are secured upon the bars 11 by securing nuts 16 threaded onto the studs 13, and by reason of the said equipment and the provision of the longitudinal slots 12, the standards may be adjusted to any desired spaced relation along the said bars to accominodate the mounting of bat rolls of varlous widths. By these connections it is not only possible to adjust the positions of the standards laterally but 'they mAay also be adjusted about their axes after the manner indicated in Figure 4 of the drawings so that the bats may be fed from the rolls mounted thereon in converging relation. The bat rolls are generally indicated at 17.

It will be observed by reference to Figure that an upper and a lower bar 11 are l"provided and the total number of mounting standards 14 carried by the` s aid bars is divided into upper and lower sets which are spaced alternately on the respective bars in the manner illustrated in the said gure so that the upperset of rolls will feed downwardly and the lower set will feed upwardly in the manner clearly illustrated 1n Figure 1 of the drawings, each lower rollbe;l

Y ing positioned centrally beneath and between a pair of upper rolls or vice versa.

In this manner the .bat rolls of each set may be spaced far enough apart to permit the quick and convenient mounting of a new bat roll as a substitute for an exhausted bat roll, the spaces between the projected end of the spindle 15 of each standard and the adjacent standard being greater than the width of the bat lrolls as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 5. e

By thus mounting the rolls, it is also possible to obtain the necessary spacing of the rolls to permit the roll mounting as just above described without impractically widenin g the mounting area of the said rolls and thus caus` ing theparts to be delivered to the machine insuch angular relation as to cause strain on 1 the'bats. Y

A pair of mounting brackets 19 are vertically adjustably mounted as at 20 to project toward the machine from the vertical standard portions of the frame extension 10 and a pair of opposed arcuate bracketmemf bers 21 are horizontally adjustably mounted as at 22 at the projected ends of the said brackets 19. The brackets 21 serve as mounting means for an anti-friction table -composed of a plurality of closely positioned anti-friction rolls 23 over which the bats pass in feeding from the rolls 17 onto the guide tray 4, see Figures 1 andk4. The table 23 may be adjusted vertically as well as horizontally through the medium of the equip- I ment 20 and 22 above referred to. It is to be understood that when the machine is to be used with a changed width of bat the tray' 4 will be removed and another substituted therefor of suitable proportions. Further, to assure against interference of the bats one with another and to prevent undue twisting ofthe bats the tray 4 may be provided with guide partitions 24, see Figure 4;

While I have shown the upper rolls 17 feeding off the bottom yand the lower rolls 17 feeding off the top, it should be understood that both sets of rolls may be arranged to feed off in like direction, as the provision of the adjustable parts 19-22 will render such arrangement of the rolls practical.

As will be observed by reference to Figures providing medium and by projecting an end of such paper quick connection between the bat ends is conveniently provided for.

In Figures 8 and 9 I have shown two modified forms of bats embodying the invention.

I wish it understood, however, that I do not wish to be limited to the specific means of attaching the bat ends just above referred to as other means for attaching the bats may be employed without transcending the scope of the invention as 2Q ing 1n unison,

35 vantages of my 45 ing individual bat roll holders,

pointed out in the apperided claims.

Furthermore, vide bats with while it is common to protensile strength providing 5 cores extending through the whole length thereof, where it is not desired to provide such whole length cores, connecting strips may be inserted in thel ends only of the bat lengths to serve the purpose of attachment. Iny the use of the apparatus which I have herein disclosed, it is possible to run the machine more or less continuously limited only by the volume of the lining and covering sheet material and as these rolls, because of '15 the thinness of the material, embody great quantities the machine may be run through a very long interval without stopping to replenish stock. The apparatus may, of course, be used with bats of equal length, all startbut it is preferred that the bat lengths be started at dilerent intervals or be formed of dilerentlengths so that they will not all exhaust simultaneously. With the bats exhausting in staggered relation and by reason of providing the simple means of attaching the end of the exhausted bat with the beginning of a new bat, it is possible for an operator to quickly connect up the bat ends as each roll exhausts and thus keep the machine in continuous operation. l

From the foregolng description, taken 1n Vconnection with the accompanying drawv ings, it is thought that the novel details of construction, the manner of use and the adinvention will be readily apparentto those skilled in the art to which it relates. k

WhatIclaim is: f

l1. Thev combination of a machine for con- 40 tinuously sewing covering and lining material with spaced seams and forming pockets or pleats between seams, of means for continuously deliverin bats to said pleats or pockets as same are ormed, said means comprisarranged in transverse rows with spacing whereby each of the rolls of bats when exhausted may be replaced by another without disturbing the remainder.

2. The combination of a machine for continuously sewin covering and lining material with space seams and forming pockets or pleats'between seams, of means for continuously delivering bats to said `pleats or pockets as same are formed, said means comprising individual bat roll holders arranged 1n transverse rows, and means to 'mount' said holders whereby a fast as one or more rolls of bats become ex austed they may be replaced by othersy without disturbing the re-' mainder, said mounting means including connections adjustable laterally and about their axes for the purpose specified,

, 3. The combination of a machine for continuously sewing covering and lining matebecome exhausted they pockets or pleats.

ri al with spaced seams and forming pockets or pleats between seams,of means for continuously delivering bats to said'pleats or pockets as same are formed, said means comprising upper and lower sets of individually spaced bat roll holders with the lower set in staggered relation to the holders of. the upper set, and means to mount said holders whereby as fast as one or more rolls of bats become exhausted they may be replaced by others without disturbing the remainder for the purposes described.

4.' The combination of a machine for cntinuously sewing covering and lining material with spaced seams and forming pockets or pleats between seams, of means for continuously delivering bats to said pleats or pockets as same are formed, said Vmeans comprisingupper and lower sets of individually spaced bat roll holders with the lowerset in staggered relation to the holders of the upper set, and means to mount said holders whereby as fast as one or more rolls of bats become exhausted they may be replaced by others without disturbing the remainder, said mounting means including connections adjustable laterally and about their axes for the purposesA specified.

5. The combination of a machine for continuously sewing covering and lining material with s aced seams and forming pockets or pleats lbetween seams, of means for continuously delivering bats to said pleats or pockets as same are formed, saidmeans comprising individual batroll holders arranged in transverse rows, and means to mount said holders whereby as fast as one'or more rolls of bats may be replaced by others without disturbing the remainder, said mounting means including connections adjustable laterally and about their axes, and means to guide the bats from the rolls to the 6. The combination of a machi'ne for continuously sewing covering and lining material with spaced seams and forming pockets or pleats between seams, feeding means for continuously delivering bats to said pleats or pockets as same are formed, said means comprising a frame having a cross-bar, batt holders mounted on` the bar and each comprising a standard having a laterally projected roll mounting spindle projecting from its upper end, said standards being mounted in spaced relation whereby to provide a space greater than the width of a batt roll between` the projected end of each spindle and the standard next adjacent for the purpose described.

7. The combination of a machine for continuously sewing covering and lining material with spaced seams and forming pockets or pleats between seams, of batt mounting and feeding means for continuously delivering batts to said pleats or pockets as same are of batt mounting and formed, said means comprising a frame havmg a cross-bar, batt holders mounted on the cross-bar and each comprising a standard and a laterally projected roll mounting spindle projecting from its upper end, said standards being mounted in spaced relation Whereby to provide a space' greater than the width of a batt roll between the proj ected end of each spindle and the standard next adjacent, means to mount the standards on the cross bar in a manner permitting adjustment thereof as to position laterally and about their axes, and means to support the batts as they are fed from the rolls comprising a table of anti-fricl ltion rollers, and means to mount the table on the frame lin a manner permitting horizontal and vertical adjustment for the purpose speciied.

MAURICE J .A STACK.' 

